Everybody understands the financial windfall that comes with fighting Conor McGregor. You make life-changing money just for showing up in the octagon and gain a level of fame that makes you a draw for the foreseeable future.

There are few, if any, other fighters on the UFC roster who deserve that opportunity the way Cerrone does.

“I’m happy Cowboy got that chance,” said former lightweight champion Anthony Pettis. “He deserves it. He’s been around a long time and it’s like, he’s on a two-fight losing streak and it’s the best thing that’s ever happened to him.”

Normally, a fighter who has lost two in a row is relegated to fighting an up-and-comer. Fans generally don’t react kindly to someone getting rewarded for their losses.

There have been no similar gripes about Cerrone. His resume speaks for itself. He may not be the mainstream superstar that McGregor has become, but Cerrone’s name carries massive weight within the MMA world.

He’s been fighting professionally since 2006 and holds UFC records for most wins (23) and most finishes (16). He’s a fighter’s fighter. A workhorse who has outlasted multiple generations of lightweights and welterweights and remains in the contenders mix.

Even McGregor, with whom he had a fiery verbal exchange at a press conference in 2015, has refrained from saying anything negative about Cerrone. Considering McGregor’s history, that’s remarkable.

“We’ve had a good back and forth, myself and Donald, but as time has gone on he’s become a family man,” McGregor said. “Obviously, you’ve seen him compete so many times it’s hard not to respect Donald right now, at this stage.

“He has my respect. Although there will be blood spilled on Jan. 18, it will not be bad blood.”

While Cerrone may have earned the respect of everyone in the fight game, he still isn’t getting a ton of it from Vegas oddsmakers who have McGregor listed as a -334 favourite in Saturday’s main event.

Part of that likely comes down to the mystique that surrounds McGregor and the fact that Cerrone has had a tendency to struggle in the biggest fights of his career. He’s one some very, very big fights, but has also lost both WEC and UFC title fights.

There’s no belt up for grabs on Saturday, but there will be more eyes on Cerrone when he steps in the octagon than there have ever been. It’s a big fight, regardless of the stakes and the financial reward is going to be huge, no matter how it goes.

“I’m stoked, I’m happy, I’m finally getting the respect this old dinosaur (deserves) for being here,” Cerrone said. “I feel good. 51 fights, I’m young. When that old son of a b—- comes knocking every morning I tell him ‘Not today, motherf—er. I’ve still got a long time left, so get your old a– out of here and come back another day.’“

Cerrone revealed at a media availability on Thursday afternoon that he’d signed a new contract with the UFC and will be getting a substantial pay raise not just for Saturday’s fight, but for a couple more bouts afterwards.

There can be petty jealous among fighters when someone gets a big payday and others don’t but you won’t hear any complaining about that with Cerrone.

He’s earned all of this.

PUT IT UP

If any fighter wants a shot at the “BMF belt” that Jorge Masvidal won last November by beating Nate Diaz, they’re going to need to put something of their own on the line.

He made that very clear on Thursday.

“Everybody asks about the belt but I won’t just put it up if I don’t win nothing in exchange,” Masvidal said. “What are you putting up?”

The BMF belt is inherently ridiculous, but it’s taken on a life of its own ever since the UFC put it up for grabs in advance of Masvidal’s fight with Diaz. It’s weirdly become an object of obsession for some, and has given Masvidal a serious amount of leverage in deciding who his next opponent will be.

He did a press conference on Thursday morning, but provided little in the way of details about who he wants to fight next.

BRING IT BACK

Claudia Gadelha has fought on her fair share of big cards before, and she’s been a part of at least one vicious rivalry where the trash talk has flown back and forth.

That was back between 2014 and 2016, when she famously developed a legitimate and deeply-rooted hatred for then-strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk.

On Saturday, she’ll be fighting Alexa Grasso at UFC 246 and it’s been a significantly quieter week.

She’s enjoying the calmer vibes around Vegas, but admitted that there’s something about having bad blood with her opponent that she misses.

“I like being able to concentrate on myself as a fighter, but Joanna brought that fire out of me,” Cadelha said. “That was kind of cool, too. I like both.

“Joanna’s a person that brought the best out of me because we were so mad at each other, so it definitely made me better.”

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